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The Best Christmas Gift Ever: Saving Santa from the Watery North Pole

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American


In one of the cleverest Christmas campaigns I’ve seen, the David Suzuki Foundation has taken a very tongue-in-cheek approach to fundraising. Renowned the world over for its actions on environmentalism and climate change, the foundation has recently come under fire for ‘dashing the hopes of children’ by telling them that Santa is homeless (no joke). Well kids, although the sleigh may not require pontoons just yet, there is undeniable evidence that we are heading in that direction. So this Christmas, think about a donation to the 'Where Will Santa Live?' campaign – where your dollars will be put to the best use possible for Santa and his crew as they get ready to face their new reality of a warmed up North Pole:

Rein-Dance Water Wings, the only water wings on the market designed specifically for flying reindeer.


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An ‘On the Road’ Cobbling Kit for Elves – with all of the tools required to continue toy-making while searching for a new place to live.

A New ‘Freezerfleece’ Suit for Santa. Let’s face it, a warmer climate means he won’t require his heavy suit much longer. Freezerfleece is made from 85% recycled plastic, 10% spandex and 5% North Pole ice, and will keep Santa cool and dry for his future travels.

Tiny Hockey Sticks will help Santa’s Elves make new friends in their new home, wherever that may be. This IS Canada after all – and what’s a winter afternoon without a streetside hockey game?

For more details on the products you can check out the ‘Where Will Santa Live?’ website. It’s a fantastic gift-idea for the environmentally conscious folks on your list. Please note that you will NOT actually receive any of these fantastic inventions; they are merely a fun way to garner some funds. You can rest assured that your donations will be put to intelligent use.

 

Carin Bondar is a biologist, writer and film-maker with a PhD in population ecology from the University of British Columbia. Find Dr. Bondar online at www.carinbondar.com, on twitter @drbondar or on her facebook page: Dr. Carin Bondar – Biologist With a Twist.

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